Thailand and Bangkok

Thailand – the Land of Smiles – serves as a gateway to South East Asia, boasting some of the world’s most beautiful and exotic tropical destinations. The capital, Bangkok, lies at the mouth of the Choa Phraya River, along Thailand’s gulf coast, and represents the heartbeat of Thailand, serving as its cultural, commercial, education and transportation center.

With a population of over 6 million, Bangkok is the largest city in Thailand. Bangkok’s wealth of cultural landmarks, extraordinary hospitality and notorious entertainment venues have made Thailand synonymous with exoticism, helping it draw in 11 million international visitors a year.

In addition, Bangkok acts as the hub for Thailand’s petroleum industry, one of the key contributors to the country’s economic development. With large natural gas fields offshore in the Gulf of Thailand, new technologies and policies are being applied as the industry strives for improvements in performance and delivery against the tide of rising costs.

The modern cityscape, the golden palaces and the thousands of temples make this Jewel of the Orient not to be missed.

Language

Thai is the national language; however English is widely spoken throughout Thailand.

Climate

Thailand’s climate is tropical, high in both temperature and humidity. However beginning in November, a cooling North East breeze and a reduction in the humidity level sees the average temperature at 31°C, making this time of year the perfect time to visit.

Currency

The Thai Baht (THB) is the official currency in Thailand.

As of 7 May 2010:

1 USD = 32.32 THB
1 GPB = 48.39 THB
1 EUR = 41.10 THB

Time

Standard Tha time is seven hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Electricity